Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Please Note: Although this review is tagged for spoilers, it also makes reference to significant plot developments from Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Season Two.

Introduction

The number '18' is a significant one in the Western world. It signifies graduation, growth and an adolescent’s transition into adulthood. Of course, such a change is fraught with both joy and pain, and this concept forms the basis of the third, stunning season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”.

Episode List
(Highlights in bold, lowlights in italics).

1) Anne; 2) Dead Man’s Party; 3) Faith, Hope and Trick; 4) Beauty and the Beasts; 5) Homecoming; 6) Band Candy; 7) Revelations; 8) Lover’s Walk; 9) The Wish; 10) Amends; 11) Gingerbread; 12) Helpless; 13) The Zeppo; 14) Bad Girls; 15) Consequences; 16) Doppelgangland; 17) Enemies; 18) Earshot; 19) Choices; 20) The Prom; 21) Graduation Day, Part One, 22) Graduation Day, Part Two

Brief Discussion

The previous year had been a tremendously painful one for Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). After falling deeply in love with vampire-with-a-soul Angel (David Boreanaz), the gift of her virginity transformed him into a monster. The horrifying ending of Season Two left both the audience and our heroine in an emotionally shattered state, as she was forced to kill the man she adored.

With such a huge amount of verve behind them, the “Buffy” writers would have been hard-pressed to make season three bad, and they effortlessly made the year soar on every level. With tighter plots and more character development and wit than ever, it’s easy to see why many “Buffy” fans consider it the peak of the show. 21 of the 22 episodes are highly impressive and better than anything else on television (then or now), and almost everything works. I would unerringly recommend this box set to any fan of complex and smart writing that resonates beyond one viewing, as I still love these shows almost a decade after their first airing. Few shows have ever been as consistently great as “Buffy” was during the late nineties, and it really has set the bar in terms of teenager-focused and supernatural shows. As such, this set is one hundred percent recommended.

Detailed Discussion

Season Three opens with a numbed Buffy hiding out in LA, where she works a mindless job and is haunted by dreams of Angel. While Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) frantically tries to locate the runaway Slayer, her friends Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendon), Oz (Seth Green) and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) all gear up for their senior year of high school. Buffy’s LA sojourn ultimately leads to her reclaiming her identity, and she reunites with her mother Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) in a silent reunion that is moving beyond words.

But adult life is full of consequences and tough decisions, and these soon start adding up. However, the year makes an unfortunate misstep in its second episode, “Dead Man’s Party”. With a distinct whiff of network interference, the show presents an embarrassing after-school special on why running away from home is bad, completely ignoring all of the pain Buffy went through and painting her friends as self-obsessed whiners. Suffice to say, if any of my friends called me ‘incredibly selfish and stupid’ after breaking down from an event that could traumatise people to the point of institutionalisation, they wouldn’t be my friends much longer.

After that embarrassment, things rapidly pick up. Buffy’s attempts to readjust to her old life are made far more difficult when another Slayer named Faith (portrayed by the whirlwind-like Eliza Dushku) arrives. The complete opposite of Buffy, Faith lives for slaying and enjoys the hunt tremendously, and after some initial friction they form a tenuous friendship. Even more shocking, Angel miraculously returns, leaving the viewer wondering what on earth has happened. As Buffy deals with these sudden changes, she’s forced to face the usual slew of monsters, which allows the writers to explore hard-hitting areas such as domestic violence (the heavy-handed “Beauty and the Beasts”) and the true importance of reliable authority figures (the hilarious “Band Candy” sees every adult in Sunnydale regressing to their teen persona).

The rest of the gang also experience the pains of growing up. The brief return of Spike (James Marsters) in “Lover’s Walk” allows for excellent character development for almost every member of the gang, as Xander and Willow give in to a romantic temptation that has serious repercussions. Follow-up “The Wish” stands out as one of the show’s best achievements, as a broken-hearted Cordelia inadvertently makes a wish to new student Anya (Emma Caulfield) that results in the world being transformed. The episode provides one of the darkest visions the series has created, with Willow and Xander as deliciously evil vampires, Buffy a cold-hearted killing machine, and best of all, the wondrous finale where every character meets their death to a haunting soundtrack of classical music.

Into the midseason, the show keeps hitting home runs. “Amends” is one of the best Angel character development episodes, as we see flashes of his past and Buffy confronts an evil entity known as the First, leading to a beautifully written hilltop plea and a cheesy but heart-warming ending. Even weaker episodes such as “Gingerbread” are interestingly plotted and witty, while “Helpless” boasts an interesting Slayer scenario with lovely exploration of the Buffy/Giles father-daughter bond and a creepy homage to classic horror films. Meanwhile, “The Zeppo” is a riotously funny romp where the underrated Xander truly shines, both saving the world and living every heterosexual male’s dream by bedding Faith.

While the gang rides the waves of hormones and monster fighting, a greater evil is brewing. The soulless Mayor of Sunnydale (an unforgettable Harry Groener) proves a wonderful evil, a flawless mixture of spiteful malice and utterly charming fatherly appeal. Any villain that will plot the destruction of a town while lecturing his cronies for swearing and bad manners is good to me, and the character provides a complex and fascinating villain.

By episode fourteen, Buffy and Faith have intensified their friendship, Buffy beginning to explore Faith’s morality-free lifestyle: “Want. Take. Have”. Unfortunately, this results in a tragic case of mistaken identity that leaves Buffy stunned and sends Faith spiralling down. Unable to deal with her actions, Faith aligns with the Mayor, and the two form a twisted yet lovely parent-child bond of their own, which massively increases their complexity. Their genuine concern for each other proves incredibly engaging, and provides a solid, tangible emotional connection for the viewer to grab onto. The Faith/Mayor combination sparks the final few arc episodes, culminating in the breathless and explosive finale, “Graduation Day”, which is textured, multi-layered and incredibly emotionally satisfying.

The standalones from the last third of the season are even more impressive than the excellent arc. There’s a truly tragic irony that the episode “Earshot” was due to air the week that the Columbine massacre occurred, as it deals with many of the related issues movingly. Opening with the clever and funny scenario of Buffy ‘catching’ telepathy from a demon, the initial humour is cropped back when Buffy overhears someone plotting a terrible revenge to take place the following day. The tension mounts, leading to a stunningly written scene in a clocktower that perfectly encapsulates all of the pain and confusion everyone feels, throughout both school and general life. “Doppelgangland” is equally brilliant, providing wonderful character growth for Willow amidst hilarious, witty comedy and a few great hints as to her storyline in season four and beyond. Finally, “The Prom” serves as a touching denouement to the Buffy/Angel relationship, serving up a dose of sap, but one that is lovingly written and portrayed with grace and class by Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz.

DVD Extras

Due to its release in an earlier part of the ‘DVD Extras’ boom, the Season Three “Buffy” box-set is a little sparse when it comes to additional features. The packaging is stylish and attractive, with crisp sound and visuals on the episodes themselves. Five featurettes provide interesting information on the show’s dialogue, wardrobe, weapons and the obligatory season overview to outline the main thematic points. There are also a few commentaries, with writer Jane Espenson providing an illuminating insight into the masterful “Earshot”, and similar bonuses for “Consequences”, “Helpless” and “Bad Girls”. A few episodes also have their original scripts encoded, providing a nice opportunity to see how an episode is written, as well as the changes that occur between initial creation and the final shoot.

Conclusion

The third season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is arguably its apex year, combining an engrossing and interesting central arc with hugely impressive one-shot stories and emotional, engaging character development across the board. There’s usually debate in “Buffy” fandom as to whether this or season two is better, but in all honesty they’re both brilliant series of television that can make the viewer laugh and cry while keeping you on the edge of your seat. Although “Buffy” would never quite scale these heights again, Season Three remains a beacon of economic and clever writing in a TV landscape often blotted by cheap gags and one-dimensional characterisations. Simply put, it’s wonderful. Buy it now – you won’t regret it!

More “Buffy”:
Season One
Season Two
Season Four
Season Five
Season Six
Season Seven

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age